Hlahol

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The Hlahol Committee in 1862 with the choir founder Lukes second from left.

Hlahol ( Old Slavic for festival song) is a mixed Prague choir . It was founded in 1861 as a men's choir , followed by a women's choir in 1879 and a children's choir in 1936 . Hlahol is one of the oldest Czech choirs, was the model for the formation of many other Czech choirs and had a great influence on the development of choral singing in Bohemia in the 19th century. In the course of its one hundred and sixty-year history, many important musical personalities such as Bedřich Smetana , Karel Bendl and Václav Smetáček worked here . The hitherto unknown Antonín Dvořákhelped Hlahol to break through as a composer. Until the Second World War , Hlahol was one of the top Czech choirs. B. first prize in the international choir competition in Amsterdam . In 2006 the mixed choir had 65 members. In 2011 Hlahol celebrated the 150th anniversary of its uninterrupted activity. The club house with its own concert hall is located on the banks of the Vltava not far from the National Theater and is now a cultural monument.

story

19th century

Karel Bendl headed Hlahol from 1865 to 1877.

The end of neo-absolutism in the Austrian Empire and the new constitution of February 1861 led to a flourishing of social and cultural life in Bohemia. The new freedom of assembly and association made it possible for many patriotic associations to be formed that were dedicated to the cultivation of the Czech language and culture. In addition to the Sokol Gymnastics Association , the Hlahol Choir was one of the first .

It emerged from a private choir around the singer and brewer Jan Ludevít Lukes, who was the first director. The first president was Rudolf von Thurn und Taxis. He first appeared publicly under the name Hlahol at the funeral of the poet Václav Hanka in January 1861. At the beginning the all-male choir had 120 members. The club's name was derived from Old Slavonic and can be translated as homage song or festival song . (The name of the old Slavic script Glagoliza has the same root.) The official date of foundation is October 2, 1861, the day on which the association's statutes were adopted. However, the choir existed before (at least since June 1861) and especially cultivated Slavic church singing . In August 1861 the statutes were confirmed by the authorities.

The number of club members grew to 412 in the first few months, 214 of them were active singers. One of the first choir directors was the composer Bedřich Smetana (1863–1865). In 1862 the painter Josef Mánes designed a club flag bearing the motto : Zpěvem k srdci, srdcem k vlasti (With the song to the heart, with the heart to the homeland) .

Hlahol inspired the founding of other choirs in Bohemia and Moravia , some of them also called themselves Hlahol . In order to remedy the lack of Czech choral literature and to stimulate Czech composers, Hlahol announced prizes for new choral compositions. The ensemble performed at social events, undertook numerous concert tours and supported and motivated smaller choirs, especially in rural areas. The choir movement grew rapidly. 114 choirs with a total of 1,400 singers took part in the choir day of the Czech-Slavic choral societies in Prague in May 1864. In 1866, Hlahol initiated the establishment of the Association of Czech-Slavic Choral Societies (Jednota zpěváckých spolků českoslovanských) . In the 1860s, the number of Czech choirs rose to 234 and thus reached its peak. The clubs not only dedicated themselves to singing, they also organized public dance events and joint excursions. Some only existed for a few years.

Karel Knittl headed Hlahol from 1877 to 1890 and from 1897 to 1901.

A women's choir took part for the first time at the concert on March 9, 1873 in the New Town Theater in Prague (Novoměstské divadlo) . The 90 singers also appeared together with Hlahol as a mixed choir. The greatest success at this concert was the premiere of the hymn The Heirs of the White Mountain for mixed choir and orchestra (Op. 30) by Antonín Dvořák. With this patriotic work, the previously unknown Dvořák achieved his breakthrough as a composer.

A permanent women's choir was founded in the fall of 1879. Now it was also possible to perform works for mixed choirs, thus increasing the attractiveness of the concerts. The number of female singers rose to 143 this year, the male choir had 200 members.

In 1883, Hlahol Smetana's short four-part chorale chose Heslo (motto) as his musical motto. The association had it printed, distributed it among the Czech choirs and has since used it as a musical greeting on many occasions. Under the choir directors Karel Bendl, (1865–1877), Karel Knittl (1877–1890, 1897–1901) and Josef Klička (1890–1897), Hlahol achieved a high artistic level and was one of the most famous Czech choirs. The highlights of this era included the performances of the Missa solemnis by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1883, the Stabat Mater and The Ghost Bride by Dvořák in 1885, the Requiem by Hector Berlioz in 1885 and the oratorio Christ by Franz Liszt in 1887. Dvořák conducted the performance of the Stabat Mater personally. Some choir members also sang at the premiere of Smetana's opera Libuše for the grand opening of the Prague National Theater in June 1881.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the choir in 1886, Emperor Franz Joseph I awarded the association the gold medal Literis et artibus .

From 1900 until the end of the Second World War

Hlahol Club House
Mosaic with allegory of music on the gable of the club house

Thanks to donations from supporters and members, the ensemble was able to acquire urban land on the banks of the Vltava not far from the National Theater in 1903 and build its own clubhouse with rehearsal rooms, cloakrooms and a concert hall. A striking Art Nouveau building was created according to plans by the architects and Hlahol members František Schlaffer and Josef Fanta . The opening was celebrated in November 1905.

The building has two entrances, between them there are memorial plaques for the choirmasters Bedřich Smetana, Karel Bendl and Karel Knittl, above the plaques the golden inscription HLAHOL shines. The stucco decoration of the facade is the work of the sculptor Josef Pekárek. The vaulted gable of the house is decorated with an allegory of music, a mosaic by the painter Karel Ludvík Klusáček. The large concert hall on the ground floor has a glazed roof. On the wall opposite the stage is a large lunette - an allegory of the song that Alfons Mucha painted for Hlahol in 1921. Inside, many original Art Nouveau furniture and fittings have been preserved, e.g. B. Doors, railings and two large chandeliers in the concert hall. Today the building is a cultural monument. On the first floor there is a Hlahol Museum.

Hlahol continued his concert activities during the First World War . Under the direction of Jaroslav Křička (1911–1920), the focus was mainly on Czech composers, thus following the public's interest during the war. After the war the ensemble was able to expand its leading position among Czech choirs under the direction of Jaromír Herle (1921–1938). In 1923 Hlahol won first prize in the international choir competition in Amsterdam. Membership peaked in the 1920s, with the association having more than 1,000 members in 1925. The ensemble also worked with foreign guest conductors, e. B. with Bernardino Molinari and Pietro Mascagni . In addition to the performance of world literature, the company continued to promote Czech choral music. Hlahol held competitions for choral compositions and often presented new works by young Czech composers in his concerts.

The mixed choir in 1916

The economic crisis of the 1930s led to a decline in membership and the club's financial situation deteriorated. Hlahol was only able to organize a few concerts of his own, but was increasingly involved in other productions. Choir members sang z. B. in the performance of Richard Wagner's opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg under the direction of Otakar Ostrčil , in Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem under the direction of Victor de Sabata , in Gustav Mahler's 2nd Symphony under the direction of Fritz Busch and in the oratorio Mistr Jan Hus by Jaroslav Jeremiáš , conducted by the composer himself. In 1930, Hlahol set up a singing course to attract qualified offspring. From 1936 singing courses were also offered for children and the ensemble was expanded to include a children's choir.

In 1941 a system for playing records was installed in the rehearsal rooms . In addition to listening to classical choral music, it was also used to play entertainment and dance music at club meetings. During the Second World War and under the difficult conditions in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia , only a few activities were possible. Under the leadership of Václav Smetáček (1938–1946), the ensemble worked with the Czech Philharmonic and the Prague Symphony Orchestra . Smetáček led the latter as chief conductor from 1942. During this time there was also an intensive cooperation with the Czech Radio . Mention should be made of the widely acclaimed radio broadcast of the anniversary concert for Dvořák's 100th birthday in 1941 and the recording of Smetana's vocal composition Česká píseň (Czech song) in the radio recording studio.

From the post-war period to the present

Invitation to the Christmas concert 2018 with a performance of the Bohemian Christmas Mass.

Under the direction of Zdeněk Tomáš (1948–1980), the ensemble was able to develop artistically after the war. The financial situation remained tense, however, and the so-called Iron Curtain made contact with foreign countries hardly possible. In May 1948, the choir took part in the grand opening concert of the Prague Spring Music Festival in the courtyard of the Prague Castle . Dvořák's oratorio Svatá Ludmila (Saint Ludmila) was performed under the direction of Rafael Kubelík and accompanied by the Czech Philharmonic . In the same year the male choir also sang at the funeral for President Edvard Beneš .

In the years 1954 to 1958 Hlahol was affiliated with the Municipal People's Academy (Městský dům osvěty, MDO), in which the cultural associations in socialist Czechoslovakia were combined. In 1957 Hlahol founded his own amateur orchestra. In the 100th anniversary year of 1961, the mixed choir had 203 active singers, the orchestra had 77 members and 234 children sang in the children's choir. The amateur orchestra disbanded in 1978 for financial reasons. In 1984 its own string orchestra was founded.

Zdeněk Tomáš expanded the repertoire to include concert versions of operas, e.g. B. Nabucco and Simon Boccanegra by Verdi and Guillaume Tell by Rossini . On the one hand, he wanted to reach a wider audience and thus improve the financial situation of the association, on the other hand, in the given political situation, the performance of exclusively sacred music was associated with problems. In the 1950s and 1960s numerous new works could be rehearsed, e.g. B. Haydn's Creation , the oratorios Messiah , Israel in Egypt and L'Allegro by Handel , The Legend of St. Elisabeth by Liszt, Praecatus est by Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský , Psalm 150 and Te Deum by Anton Bruckner .

In the 1970s and 1980s, the number of members decreased sharply. After the velvet revolution of 1989 the situation stabilized. In the 1990s, the ensemble returned to a good artistic level, was able to expand its repertoire and hold numerous concerts at home and abroad. The choir started working with a chamber orchestra made up of members of the Czech Philharmonic, the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra (Symfonický orchestr Českého rozhlasu).

The focus of the choir work is on sacred music. In addition to cantatas , masses and oratorios , the repertoire also includes numerous a cappella compositions by Czech and foreign composers. The Christmas concerts in the Hlahol Hall with performances of the Bohemian Christmas Mass by Jakub Jan Ryba have become a tradition . The choir is a member of the Union of Czech Choirs (Unie českých pěveckých sborů) . Roman Z. Novák has been the artistic director since 2001. In 2006 the mixed choir had 65 members. In 2011 Hlahol celebrated the 150th anniversary of its uninterrupted activity. The program of the anniversary concert in autumn 2011 included the cantata Amarus by Leoš Janáček and Psalm 149 and Te Deum by Antonín Dvořák.

List of choir directors

Hlahol choir director since the choir was founded until today:

  • Jan Ludvík Lukes (1861–1863), founder
  • Ferdinand Heller (1861–1863, 1864–1865)
  • František Kaván (1863–1864, 1865–1866)
  • Bedřich Smetana (1863-1865)
  • Karel Bendl (1865–1877)
  • František Chlum (1877)
  • Karel Knittl (1877–1890, 1897–1903)
  • Josef Klička (1890-1897)
  • Karel Douša (1901–1903)
  • Adolf Piskáček (1903-1911)
  • Jaroslav Křička (1911-1921)
  • Jaromír Herle (1921–1938)
  • Václav Smetáček (1938–1946)
  • Antonín Dolinský (1946–1947)
  • Cyril Pecháček (1947–1948)
  • Zdeněk Tomáš (1948–1980)
  • Jan Kasal (1980-1992)
  • Zdeněk Šulc (1992-2001)
  • Roman Z. Novák (since 2001)

literature

  • Josef Srb, Ferdinand Tadra: Památník pražského Hlaholu, Na oslavu 25leté činnosti spolku [= Memorandum of Prague Hlahol, in celebration of 25 years of activity of the association] . Hlahol, Praha 1886 (Czech, online ).
  • Rudolf Lichtner (Ed.): Památník zpěváckého spolku Hlaholu v Praze, vydaný na oslavu 50tileté činnosti, 1861–1911 [= memorandum of the Prague Hlahol Choral Society, published to celebrate 50 years of activity, 1861–1911] . Hlahol, Praha 1911 (Czech, online ).
  • Lenka Dandová: Pražský Hlahol (Prague Hlahol Choir). Diplomová práce . Univerzita Karlova v Praze , Pedagogická fakulta, Katedra hudební výchovy, Praha 2015 (Czech, online ).

Web links

Commons : Hlahol  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Zora Dvořáková: Doba vzniku Sokola a jeho postavení v České společnosti. In: sokol-nasavrky.wz.cz. May 6, 2015, accessed on May 11, 2020 (Czech, The Time of the Origin of Sokol and Its Position in Czech Society).
  2. ↑ From Prague. In:  Süddeutsche Musik-Zeitung , October 28, 1861, p. 3 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / ikz
  3. ↑ From Prague. In:  Süddeutsche Musik-Zeitung , December 16, 1861, p. 3 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / ikz
  4. ↑ Martina Schneibergová: The Art Nouveau house of the Hlahol Choral Society. In: Radio Prague International . February 21, 2014, accessed May 11, 2020 .
  5. ↑ Austrian monarchy. In:  Das Vaterland , June 25, 1861, p. 2 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / possibly
  6. ↑ News. In:  Reviews and communications about theater and music. (The "Monthly for Theater and Music" 5th year) / Reviews and communications on theater and music , August 18, 1861, p. 16 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / maintenance / rec
  7. ↑ Rudolf Lichtner (ed.): Památník zpěváckého spolku Hlaholu v Praze, vydaný na oslavu 50tileté činnosti, 1861–1911 [= memorandum of the Prague Choral Society, published to celebrate 50 years of activity, 1861–1911] . Hlahol, Praha 1911, p. 12–20 (Czech, online ).
  8. ↑ Lenka Dandová: Pražský Hlahol (Prague Hlahol Choir). Diplomová práce . Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Pedagogická fakulta, Katedra hudební výchovy, Prague 2015, p. 17-20 (Czech, online ).
  9. ↑ Rudolf Lichtner (ed.): Památník zpěváckého spolku Hlaholu v Praze, vydaný na oslavu 50tileté činnosti, 1861–1911 [= memorandum of the Prague Choral Society, published to celebrate 50 years of activity, 1861–1911] . Hlahol, Praha 1911, p. 79-80 (Czech, online ).
  10. ^ Klaus Döge: Dvorak, Life - Works - Documents; Series music . Piper, Schott, Mainz 1991, ISBN 3-7957-8277-5 , pp. 129-137 .
  11. ↑ a b c The history of Prague's Hlahol. In: hlahol.cz. Retrieved May 11, 2020 .
  12. ↑ Lenka Dandová: Pražský Hlahol (Prague Hlahol Choir). Diplomová práce . Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Pedagogická fakulta, Katedra hudební výchovy, Prague 2015, p. 26, 98 (Czech, online ). Smetana composed it in 1882 on a text by Josef Srb-Debrnov (1836–1904): Vše, co touhou drahé nám, blaha přáno budiž vám (We wish everything that is dear to us) .
  13. ↑ Lenka Dandová: Pražský Hlahol (Prague Hlahol Choir). Diplomová práce . Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Pedagogická fakulta, Katedra hudební výchovy, Prague 2015, p. 20–30 (Czech, online ).
  14. ^ Pražský Hlahol. In: Prague Tourism Portal. 2020, accessed on May 11, 2020 (Czech).
  15. ↑ Spolkový dům Hlahol. In: Národní památkový ústav. Retrieved May 11, 2020 (Czech).
  16. ↑ Lenka Dandová: Pražský Hlahol (Prague Hlahol Choir). Diplomová práce . Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Pedagogická fakulta, Katedra hudební výchovy, Prague 2015, p. 33-43 (Czech, online ).
  17. ↑ a b Lenka Dandová: Pražský Hlahol (Prague Hlahol Choir). Diplomová práce . Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Pedagogická fakulta, Katedra hudební výchovy, Prague 2015, p. 43–46 (Czech, online ).
  18. ↑ Lenka Dandová: Pražský Hlahol (Prague Hlahol Choir). Diplomová práce . Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Pedagogická fakulta, Katedra hudební výchovy, Prague 2015, p. 48-49 (Czech, online ).
  19. ↑ a b Lenka Dandová: Pražský Hlahol (Prague Hlahol Choir). Diplomová práce . Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Pedagogická fakulta, Katedra hudební výchovy, Prague 2015, p. 55-65 (Czech, online ).
  20. ↑ Pražský Hlahol slaví 145 let! In: Unie českých pěveckých sborů. October 12, 2006, accessed on May 11, 2020 (Czech, Prague Hlahol celebrates 145 years!).
  21. ↑ Lenka Dandová: Pražský Hlahol (Prague Hlahol Choir). Diplomová práce . Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Pedagogická fakulta, Katedra hudební výchovy, Prague 2015, p. 73 (Czech, online ).
  22. ↑ Lenka Dandová: Pražský Hlahol (Prague Hlahol Choir). Diplomová práce . Univerzita Karlova v Praze , Pedagogická fakulta, Katedra hudební výchovy, Praha 2015, p. 17-73 (Czech, 126 pp., Online ).
  23. ↑ Rudolf Lichtner (ed.): Památník zpěváckého spolku Hlaholu v Praze, vydaný na oslavu 50tileté činnosti, 1861–1911 [= memorandum of the Prague Choral Society, published to celebrate 50 years of activity, 1861–1911] . Hlahol, Praha 1911, p. 147-149 (Czech, online ).
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